O.K. you have 10 muley points in wash. where do you go to kill a 180+ buck

[poulsbo]

i have 10 pts. been putting in for desert A tag and nothing else, the last two years i have not seen to much from that unit that was big, so now what???

[BrushChimp]

Keep putting in for that unit. Best one in the state. You'll get lucky one of these years! 

[poulsbo]

i wish i could see some of the bigger bucks that come out of there, i guess i need to get of my butt and look around in august.

[WDFW-SUX]

Probably the Alkali (YTC) unit. With no hunt this year next year it should be better than most of the other tuff draw stuff.

[bobcat]

I would apply for something you have a chance at. The Desert unit gets around 4000 applications for somewhere around 15 permits. Terrible odds, 10 points or not. You have a better chance of drawing a moose tag. I'd just go with any of the Okanogan and Chelan county hunts. As Passion said, Alkali could be a good choice next year, IF it is open for hunting by then.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Keep putting in for that unit. Best one in the state. You'll get lucky one of these years! 

I drew that hunt three years ago and shot a decent 4x4 during the archery hunt. I made the mistake of not taking the entire two weeks off. There are some hogs in there and the body size of the deer are second to none in the state. I saw does that looked like cow elk. Keep on applying! When you get drawn I will let you know where all the deer are. One of the taxidermists that i use drew the rifle tag a couple years before i got my tag and he had a 190+ buck picked out the day before the rifle opener. He couldn't find him and took home a meat buck. He admitted that he did not hunt long enough. To much work to do back home evidently.

I have made a pact with myself to continue applying for this hunt until i draw it again. It was worth the wait. If you think you could shoot a bow or maybe you already do, drawing the archery tag would be alot easier than the rifle tag. I applied for 6 years for the rifle tag and once the state switched the archery hunt to November i applied for that. In total it took me 9 years to draw the Desert Tag.

[jdb]

Probably the Alkali (YTC) unit. With no hunt this year next year it should be better than most of the other tuff draw stuff.

I was out there sunday saw 3 deer one had hairloss big time!  and one dandy 3 point!

[270Shooter]

I would say Alkali or Swakane

[huntnphool]

Keep applying here and contact Drummond Lindsey in Sonora, he will get you a 180+

http://www.deserttrophy.com/galerias/muledeer/index.htm

[boneaddict]

  Well said Huntnphool.  Passion is probably right about the Training center, otherwise your best chance is anything where the winter hasn't decimated them.  I would normally promote the Methow, but for the first time in my life, I'd say no way.   I know it way better than most and I am having trouble scraping a 130.

[Skyvalhunter]

Well overall the amount of quality bucks is down and chances of a 180" are way down. Don't sacrafice your points. You could just apply for points only like I did this year until the deers quality and population go back up.

[woodywsu]

I heard of a nice 31" buck with a 8-inch drop tine got taken on opening morning in the desert. I am still trying to get pictures of it. I know of another 32" 5x5 that got hit yesterday, but they are still looking for it.

[wastickslinger]

No sweat killing a 180 buck in the Desert but you might not ever draw. I guess you need to be more specific. Do you want to be pretty sure of drawing a tag this coming year and possibly kill a 180 or can you wait 10 more years to draw desert?

Like everyone else has said, Desert is not a crap shoot. If you draw it you will need a week at  least. The bucks have no pattern.

[big_bucks]

I agree with Bone - Methow and areas with winter kill are down this year.  I'd normally recommend any of the Methow or Chelan County hunts, but not this year.  Better off with a desert tag.  Personally, I prefer putting in for something that I can draw as 1) I love to hunt and 2) I put in for other states where seeing a toad is far more likely than WA.  My elections change each year based on the winter and/or other factors.

10 points - just a matter of time. . .